How do Watersheds work?

When a drop of water falls inside a watershed, it flows toward that main body of water. It can do this in one of two ways: by soaking into the ground, or by running off the landscape directly into the waterbody. If it soaks into the ground, it becomes part of the groundwater supply, which eventually connects with the surface water. When it goes into the ground, the soils filter out harmful pollutants — things like fertilizer, oil, chemicals, bacteria, trash, etc. — so the water stays clean. But if the raindrop can’t soak into the ground, it will run toward the lowest point in the landscape, picking up whatever pollutants it finds along the way. This is called runoff, and it’s a major source of water pollution.

Show All Answers

1. What is a Watershed?
2. How do Watersheds work?
3. Why are Healthy Watersheds important?